The present invention relates to bit-wise holographic data storage systems and methods, and in particular to reflective optics for bit-wise holographic storage systems.
In holographic storage, data are stored in holograms resulting from the interference of a signal and reference beam. During storage, both the reference and signal beams are incident on the storage medium. During retrieval, only the reference beam is incident on the medium. The reference beam interacts with a stored hologram, generating a reconstructed signal beam proportional to the original signal beam used to store the hologram. Relative to conventional magnetic and optical data storage methods, holographic data storage promises high storage densities, short access times, and fast data transfer rates. Conventional page-based volume storage, however, typically requires specialized components such as spatial light modulators and charge-coupled detectors.
The storage of localized holograms (bit-wise storage) may allow the use of simpler optical components than page-base holographic storage. Designs for localized-hologram storage systems must address tolerances to tilts and misalignments of the optical components used to direct the signal and reference beams to the storage medium.